To produce a color video image, the image from the camera is broken down into its component primary colors, namely, red, green, and blue, and then combined and transmitted to a receiver which essentially reverses the operation of the camera to render the image sought to be displayed. To reduce the amount of information that must be transmitted and thereby advantageously conserve transmission bandwidth, older video formats use transmission schemes, including so-called “composite” video and “S-video”, in which only one line (in the case of composite video) or two lines (in the case of S-video) are used to carry the color video signal to the receiver. Digital video has now arrived on the scene and has been declared the standard for High Definition Television (HDTV). The standard is the Digital Video Interface Standard (DVI). DVI signals are basically incompatible with analog systems of any type and must be decoded and subjected to conversion. Many large plasma displays are adapted for DVI input.
Unfortunately, however, while the first two of the above-mentioned formats conserve bandwidth, they do so at the expense of image resolution. Accordingly, a relatively new format, referred to herein as “component video”, has been introduced. In component video, the three primary color images are transmitted along respective lines, thereby increasing the resolution and, hence, quality of the video image that is output by the receiver. Many digital video disk (DVD) players that provide relatively large bandwidth and, thus, that facilitate the use of component video, accordingly employ the component video format.
To accommodate all three of the above-mentioned formats, many modern televisions can accept composite video inputs, S-video inputs, and component video inputs. HDTV sets and players have recently added a DVI input to the above mix. To select among the inputs, however, a user must manipulate the local or remote control of the television itself to cause a menu of selections to appear on screen, and then the user must select which input is desired to be presented. This can be comparatively cumbersome.
Moreover, many television sets receive their input from an audio video (AV) receiver such as, e.g., the AV receiver associated with a video cassette recorder (VCR). Because many if not most AV receivers are configured only for the composite video and S-video formats and not for component video, however, the component video input to the television cannot be received through the AV receiver. Instead, it must be received as an input that is separate from the AV receiver. As one consequence, multiple remote control sets (e.g., one for the AV receiver and one for the television) are required. As users have discovered, the requirement to use multiple remote control units is annoyingly cumbersome and confusing, and multiplies the likelihood that a remote control unit will be lost or misplaced.
Fortunately, the present invention recognizes that is possible to provide a means for controlling the presentation of incompatible video formats in a way that is transparent to the user, using AV receivers that are not otherwise configured for the component video format. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system and apparatus for controlling the presentation of incompatible video formats in a way that is transparent to the user. Another object of the present invention is to provide a system and apparatus for enabling a user to switch between video channels having incompatible formats using only a single remote control unit. Still another object of the present invention is to provide an AV selection system and apparatus that is easy to use and cost-effective to manufacture.
The device is further operative for selecting a Digital Video Interface (DVI) signal when received.
Other features of the present invention are disclosed or apparent in the section entitled: “MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION.”